Is VPN Better Than a Proxy Server?

If you’re looking to make your web surfing anonymous, you have probably discovered that there are different service providers out there to help you do so. The two most common are proxies and Virtual Private Networks and many debate whether one is better than the other. While a proxy is cheaper, it is also limited in what access it can grant you to international websites. So, bearing in mind the price difference, is VPN better than a proxy server? The simple answer is: yes.

The differences between VPN and Proxy Servers

Almost all the incoming and outgoing information to your computer or network can be very easily traced. Not a good thing in an era when hackers seem barely out of diapers and a lot of our most sensitive personal data is stored on our hard drives. Your wi-fi network can be hacked very easily indeed – a VPN much less easily.

The two services work a little differently. A Proxy Server acts as an intermediary, passing requests from your computer to the website you are trying to access or the file you want to download. For example, it can help you open a website that filters by location and doesn’t allow you access from your current city or country. A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, gives you total anonymity, creating a network over a public internet connection through an encrypted tunnel. It acts like a privately owned local network and offers more security, better speeds and other advantages.

Why is VPN better than a Proxy Server?

VPN is better than a Proxy Server for a number of reasons. Probably the most important is your security: while a Proxy Server caches your data and makes it available to the server’s owner – including your sensitive information such as passwords – a VPN gives you absolute anonymity and privacy. A Proxy Server can also be intercepted, while a VPN includes protocols that prevent this from happening. Proxy Servers also tend to include restrictions on the websites and software you can use when accessing the internet, because certain programs are not compatible with Proxy Servers, while VPN does not restrict you at all. VPN may generally be more costly and a little more difficult to get set up but, once you have, it offers more freedom, greater anonymity and much more security.

Is VPN better than a Proxy Server if I live in a censored country?

Absolutely. If you live in a country with heavy censorship on internet access, you can be tracked fairly easily through a Proxy Server. VPN protocols, however, allow you to hide your identity much more securely and a VPN service is therefore the much safer option in a censored country.